The present invention relates generally to shades, particularly folding shades having flexible panels that are folded as the shade is lowered to an open position.
Convention centers, museums, and other public structures are often designed to include large sections of glass, or other light-transmissive materials, in the exterior walls or ceiling to admit into the structure as much natural light as possible. Portions of the walls or ceilings are often obliquely angled with respect to grade to optimize admission of light or simply for reasons of aesthetic design. The portions of the walls and ceilings can also be curved. It is often necessary or desirable to shade such sections from direct sunlight, or for privacy or other reasons. For such structures, a folding shade system is useful for shading of the angled portions of the structure.
Folding shade systems include shades having panels secured together in an end-to-end fashion. The shade is supported by rods or cables extending across the width of the shade and engaging the shade between adjacent panels. The rods or cables are attached to cars that translate along tracks located on opposite sides of the shade panels. Folding shade systems further include motor-driven pull cables connected to an end of the shade for lowering and raising the panels to respectively open and close the shade. When the shade is lowered, each of the panels is folded approximately in half as the panel-supporting cm approach the lower end of the tracks.
The rods or cables supporting the shade are subject to sag when suspended between the opposite tracks of the shade system. The sagging of the rods or cables causes bunching in prior art shade systems in the portions of the shades that receive the rods or cables. Such bunching in the rod or cable receiving portions of the shades impairs the folding of the supported panels leading to crumpling of portions of the panels, particularly adjacent opposite sides of the shade. This creates a bulky and unsightly construction rather than a compact collection of folded panels as desired.
In its broad aspects the invention comprises a shade system having a shade that includes at least one panel having a width and at least one elongated flexible member having opposite ends. Each of the flexible members is suspended from its opposite ends such that the flexible member defines a curved profile. The shade system further includes at least one receiver for each of the flexible members. The at least one receiver for each flexible member is operably secured to the shade to define a pathway extending across the width for receipt of the flexible member. The pathway defined by the at least one receiver has a curved profile.
In another aspect, the invention comprises a folding shade system having a shade that includes a plurality of panels each having opposite sides defining a width and opposite ends. The panels are secured together in an end-to-end fashion. The folding shade system also include a plurality of flexible cables each having opposite ends an d a pair of opposing tracks to which the opposite ends of the cables are securable. Each of the cables has a length that is selected such that the cable is suspended between the tracks to define a first curved profile. The folding shade system further includes at least one cable receiver for receiving each of the cables, the at least one cable receiver for each cable operably secured to the shade adjacent an end of one of the panels to define a cable-receiving pathway extending across the panel width. The cable-receiving pathway has a curved profile substantially matching the first curved profile.